


Innocence in the Red

by ladyKatharos



Series: DBH RK Brothers AU [2]
Category: Detroit: Become Human (Video Game)
Genre: Alternate Universe, Blue Umbriel, Brothers AU, DBH Brothers AU, DBH RK Brothers AU, Multi, Other
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2018-07-14
Updated: 2018-07-28
Packaged: 2019-06-10 06:38:05
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 3
Words: 4,662
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15285864
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ladyKatharos/pseuds/ladyKatharos
Summary: Set after the main events of the RK Brothers storyline-Dark LEDs, scarlet irises, glowing red interfacing-This wasn’t what Colton wanted to come back to his first day on patrol.When RK800-01 has a run in with a infected android, the quest to find the cure to save Detroit rests in his hands.





	1. Chapter 1

**Author's Note:**

> HI! This is one of my first D:BH fanfics here- and also one of my first fanfics posted!
> 
> Based on BlueUmbriel’s Detroit: Become Brothers AU! This AU means so much to me- being an Admin on this discord was like, the best decision I’ve ever made. Thought viruses might be fun to write about.
> 
> This was originally going to be a one-shot but I got inspired to write more chapters, so hope y’all enjoy!
> 
> BlueUmbriel:  
> @BlueUmbriel on Twitter  
> BlueUmbrielon Tumblr

Colton ran. 

Running, a movement that never tired him out. His hazel eyes were fixated on the back of the suspect, who ran merely a few feet in front of him. His regulator pumped hard- a fake heart beating wildly to simulate his stress was rising. 

This isn’t the way Colton wanted to start out his first day back to patrol. He quite liked being a traffic cop- being in his own space where he had little authority but so much fun. The kids from the nearby school would always say hi to him- a warmth bubbling in his chest when they’d high five or hug him. It was the calmest he’d been in a while. 

Fowler wasn’t content about it either- but attacks on officers, Android or not, were becoming more prominent throughout the city. The department couldn’t make androids join nor could they force humans to coexist with them. 

The Android took a sharp turn around a brick wall- to which Colton immediately snapped out of his daze- his pace quickening to keep up. 

He nearly slammed into the opposite wall, skidding to a halt and pushing himself off it, using it as some sort of boost to keep running.

His LED flashed a momentary yellow as he propelled himself off the ledge of a building, mimicking the suspect’s movements as he landed, rolling forward back onto his feet as he landed on another rooftop.

Colton felt the impact at the base of his feet- but it kept him going.

* * *

The eldest RK model stood still, at ease by the Captain's desk. His eyes were fixated elsewhere, the echo of his father shouting ringing in his ears.

“You can’t do that to him! He’s not ready to be out there by himself-”

“Hank, I had no choice. Everyone in this department is up to their fucking necks in paperwork and cases! I’ve got four missing officers- one might which I add, almost was one of your other boys!”

Hank nearly flipped the table with how high his stress levels were. Colton eyed his father from behind the two- keeping quiet as he stayed still.

“Jeffery, please. Don’t do this to him.” Hank pleaded, a tone of voice rarely heard by anyone other than Colton. The elder android blinked at the sound of his father’s voice as Fowler ran a hand over his head.

“Look, Hank- I need him to be out there. Wasn’t that his job to begin with?”

The Lieutenant’s eyes furrowed into a scowl, as he stood up and walked out of the Captain’s office- frustrated beyond belief. Colton cleared his throat as he nodded his thanks to the Captain and stepped away, following his rather angry father to his desk.

* * *

His stress levels were rising more then usual- his arms moving to help pump more stamina into his older body. Colton never let the fact of being twelve years older then his successor models hinder him in anyway. He was still an RK800 model, nonetheless. The one who started it in the first place.

A shame how it had to end so quickly.

Colton’s eyes kept locked on the Android’s back, the deviant turning to look at Colt every once in a while. The RK could see red irises- apart from the red LED, flashing rapidly under the unkempt hair.

He’d wished he had some of the features his brother’s offered: real time DNA sampling, Crime Scene recreation- the  works. It sucked for him to be left out of being a detective with his minor defects. Colt, however, didn’t mind it all too much sometimes, as he kept reminding himself of his quiet street- helping children, android or not, cross.

“Detroit Police, stop!” Colton yelled as he skidded to a complete stop, cornering the suspect on the edge of a 8 story building. It hadn’t occurred to him how much they’d been running- the distance they’d manage to cover.

The android skidded to a stop at the edge, looking down at drop- a few stories high. Colton watched wide-eyed as he reached for his pistol. Suddenly, he stopped- his fingers hesitating over the hilt of the weapon. He was created to negotiate. Maybe that was something he’d try instead.

“Whoa- hey, listen… my name is Colton.. I just- I need you to come down off the ledge.”

The android didn’t look back, its head up high as it stared at the sky- snow falling delicately on its synthetic skin. The android’s head moved downward. as if it was staring straight ahead.

Colton took a careful step forward, taking a low, deep breath for himself. “Don’t do this. Come off the ledge and we can talk- I just want to make sure you’re alright.”

The android stood still, eerily- making a shiver go down the RK800’s spine as its head turned suddenly, revealing a dark LED and red, piercing eyes. This made Colton blink wide as the man turned and leaned backwards- off the building.

“NO!”

He ran to the edge, skidding to a stop as he reached for the falling android- managing to grasp onto the sleeve of the jacket it wore. The weight was too much for the RK800 to stay on his feet, as he toppled over the ledge himself.

Colton’s hand gripped tight to the edge of the rooftop, feeling his arm strain slightly. His hazel eyes gazed down, looking at the android as it dangled lifelessly, before turning it’s head up at him. The red irises of the android seemed to glow brighter, making Colton’s eyes widen.

The android’s other hand reached up, grasping at Colton’s arm- trying to interface with him. A red glow began to creep up Colton’s arm, the blue of his true white body nearly connecting with the android’s. This made Colton gasp- suddenly, as he let go.

His heart dropped as the android fell, before his eyes down eight stories.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Looks like Colt's secret isn't so secret anymore.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Second Chapter!
> 
> Sorry about taking so long to update- I have no sense of time ajdhadhkja
> 
> Cowritten by my boyfriend so hope you enjoy!~
> 
> Find him here:  
> @eddydrizzle on Twitter

Colton barely blinked as red and blue lights flashed in his view waiting outside his patrol car. The snow fell into his hair sprinkling small white specks all around him. He looked up, as he heard doors open and close. His eyes fluttered shut, when he suddenly felt arms around him- taking him out of his daze.

“Are you hurt? What the hell happened? Why didn’t you call for back-up?”

The voice asked too many questions at once, his LED flashing rapidly as he looked down at Colin, who had buried his face in Colton’s chest. He heaved a heavy sigh, as he wrapped his arms back around his younger brother, trying to keep a straight face on.

“I’m fine, Colin. Trust me- I’m not the one who fell.” He spoke, his voice trailing off at the end of his sentence. The vivid five seconds kept replaying in his head, scenarios playing over and over again. It was avoidable on his end…. but not on the other's.

Colin managed to calm himself down, as he untangled himself from Colton’s grasp, wiping at his face. His hazel eyes followed behind him, as he caught the stare of his youngest brother- Conan. His gaze serious, cold as it always was when he was angry.

Colton’s eyes shot downward as he saw the RK900 stride over, seeing his feet stop just before him. The eldest RK800 stood a little straighter before looking up at his brother, the expression on his face making him blink in surprise.

A pensive look had overtaken the normally composed Conan, as he reached out and brought Colton in for a hug. He shuddered at the suddenness of it, wrapping his arms around Conan as he sighed.

“You gave us all quite the scare. Hank hasn’t stopped berating Fowler for letting you back out onto the field.” Conan stated, keeping his arms around Colt.

“Of course he hasn’t.” This made Colton frown, hiding his face in his brother’s chest for only a moment longer before the eldest RK let go. He stepped back, not meeting his brother’s eye for a moment. Colton finally looked up, and nodded. “What do you know?”

Conan cleared his throat, walking past the two brothers to the crime scene. Colton followed obediently, as Colin stayed behind to do some damage control.

* * *

“So…. a virus?”

Connor’s hand pressed against his jaw, rubbing it slightly as he leaned against the conference room table. His eyes were focused, looking at the board in front of them. Lines, drawn in whiteboard marker, linked different pictures and documents together. His chocolate brown eyes followed each of the lines, his head scanning to make a visual map to store in his head.

“Maybe.” Conan said, looking at the same board Connor observed. “We don’t really know where the source originates. We can’t exactly call it a ‘virus’.”

Colin folded his arms in his chair, flexing his fingers on his right hand slightly. His LED flashed a bright yellow as he scanned over the board- seeing his own picture on the wall with a line leading to an report. It’d been so crowded that day, he’d been lucky Conan was with him when he got ambushed by the infected android himself.

“Well, what else can we call it? As far as we know, all four victims had the same symptoms. A dark LED, eyes with red irises and red interfacing, instead of the normal blue. Wouldn’t that add up to like… a sickness? Infection?” The RK800-60 pushed, looking around at his brothers and Hank, who hadn’t said anything since they’d returned to the office. The boys conversed loudly- trying to piece the clues together, LEDs flashing yellow nonstop.

The eldest RK800 sat on the opposite side of the table, arms wrapped around him as he looked at nothing in particular, his glazed over eyes showing he wasn’t paying attention, to anything the boys were saying. His mind kept replaying the seconds before he dropped the other android- the glow on his arm that burned like acid to the touch. His head leaned back, one of his curled locks falling into his face.

The Lieutenant’s eyes gazed over his sons, conversing about the case as they settled on Colton, hunched away by himself. His lips pursed slightly- recalling the terrifying phone call he’d received from Conan when they’d gone to pick him up. Hank nearly had a heart attack- despite all the monotonous reassurance given by the youngest brother.

He pressed off from the table he leant on, leaving the other three in their squabbles as he approached Colton- who’s eyes had closed to rest. Hank took the seat on Colton’s right side, near his head.

“You know, they’d probably appreciate your input on the case.” Hank’s voice was gruff- but gentle as it always was with him.

Colt’s eyes shot open, leaning his head backwards, looking at Hank upside down. He sighed as he sat up, putting his legs down and sitting properly at the chair. He put his hands in his lap, his head low as he took another deep breath, finally looking up to Hank.

“Don’t know how much good I’d be since I let our only suspect fall to their death."

Hank huffed, folding his arms as he sat back- pressing his lips into a hard line. “Colt- you did what you had to do. If you didn’t do anything, you’ve ended up like Colin. I don’t need another son falling victim to this... whatever the hell this is.”

He leaned forward- placing a hand on the elder RK’s shoulder, making Colton turn his head up towards his father. “We need all hands on deck with this one. Fowler’s put a lot of pressure on to get this figured out. Five heads are better than four- when it comes to you lot.”

Colton sighed, nodding at his father’s words. His head turned, back to where his other brothers sat, his eyes settling on Colin. A frown settled onto his face as they followed downward to his arm, seeing the discoloration on the RK’s synthetic skin. Colin tried to cover up using his sleeves but Colt could still see it. The elder RK’s fingers touched his own arm, where the corrupted android had nearly gotten him too.

The elder RK clenched his fists slightly, remembering what had happened to Colin all that time ago. They didn’t think anything of it, but now- it was starting to piece together.

He began to tune in to the conversation his brothers were having. “... We have to be more vigilant about outbreaks. We need to be proactive. We cannot risk anymore of these… ‘infections.’” Connor said as he scanned the whiteboard covered in evidence, brows furrowed as he concentrated. 

Colton heard their voices as he tried his hardest to concentrate on what his brothers were saying, but he felt his mind become fuzzy. The more he tried to concentrate, the fuzzier it got.  
He adjusted himself in his chair, sitting up straighter in hopes of snapping out of whatever was happening to him. Little did he know, the exposure to the ‘virus’ earlier was beginning to slowly take its toll. Everything around him began to disappear as his vision darkened in the corners, slowly taking over his whole field of view. He tried to fight it to no avail as he felt a darkness creep up from inside him. 

_What is this?_ He wondered. 

_This darkness that I feel, this sense of… **corruption.**_

Hank noticed how unusually quiet and still Colton was being. “Colt, are you okay?” He asked, to no response. His eyes shot up to the LED- an obvious signal to his son’s state. Hank moved closer to him, his expression slightly confused.

“Colt! Earth to Colt! Hello? Is anyone there?” Hank asked exasperatedly. 

The eldest RK could hear the voices in the background, faded, distant. Like if there was an interference blocking the sounds out from his mind. His eyes were blank, void of the twinkle he’d always had.

“Colton, are you okay? Please tell me you’re okay..” Hank murmured as he shook Colton vigorously, trying to snap him out of whatever state he was in currently. 

Slowly Colton’s vision returned, the black veil that was seemingly covering his sight retracted and he slowly regained consciousness. He suddenly remembered where he was, he was surrounded by his brothers and Hank. Colin kneeling next to him, holding his arm where the RK had been exposed to the “virus” earlier. 

“I’m… I’m fine.” Colton sputtered out. “I just dozed off for a little bit, no big deal.” He said as he slowly unclenched his fists. He didn’t remember doing that in the first place, but they were clenched so tightly. 

He knew something wasn’t right, but he could not bring it up to his brothers and Hank. Not with everything that was going on. Not with him being the oldest. He had to be the strongest. 

After seeing Colton was fine, the brothers returned to their respective chairs. They all began to focus on how they were going to further break down the investigation. 

All of them except for Colin, his eyes were fixed on Colton. 

He knew something was wrong, he could tell. He remembered from when he was showing symptoms of the virus. He had to confront Colton, but how? He shook his head and tried to refocus on the topic at hand.


	3. Chapter 3

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Going home.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Co-written by @eddydrizzle

Time seemed to have slipped away from the boys and Hank, going over all the evidence presented to them. Files, papers, and photographs littered the conference table as each RK had their own section. Colton and Colin sat opposite each other as Connor, Conan and Hank spoke quietly near the end of the table, discussing other police business.

Colin’s eyes flickered up, keeping his head down to eye the elder RK. Colton’s eyes were fixed on the photos in front of him, his LED flashing rapidly as it struggled to return information to him quickly. He huffed slightly, as words appeared in his vision, things he already knew. Colt knew he wasn’t as well equipped as his brothers were but he was trying.

He scratched at his arm, hidden under his police uniform sleeve- an ache beginning from the touch of the infected android. His face twisted slightly, a discomfort coming over him when he caught Colin staring.

Colin immediately gazed downward, flipping through one of the case files. He set it down, folding his hands in front of him carefully. His eyes fixed on his fingers slightly before finally looking up, staring directly at Colton. The expression on Colin’s face was a mix of emotions before it became serious.

Colton shifted in his chair, the stare unsettling to the RK. He sat a little straighter, taking a deep breath.

**Colton. I know.**

The flinch was unavoidable, making Colt turn away. His eyes closed as his LED flashed the brilliant amber. Colin’s form of mental communication was expected as Colt side-eyed the end of the table, checking on the others. They were fixed in their own conversation- unaware of the mental connection.

It was just him and Colin.

**What is it, that you think you know?**

Colton’s internal voice was gentle, not a hint of guilt audible in his response. There was no way he could let Colin know what had happened. There was nothing to tell. He couldn’t worry his brothers again.

Colin’s head tilted, his expression softening slightly. He always knew his older brother kept secrets, a horrible habit to have. He knew Colton meant well but it didn’t mean he had to lie to them either.

The RK800-60 leaned slightly into his arms, eyes fixed on Colton. 

**It touched you, didn’t it?**

The voice that sounded from Colin was soft, nearly broken. Colt blinked, looking up at him. The serious gaze disappeared replaced with one of concern. The elder RK shifted again in his seat, feeling uncomfortable. Under the table, his hand gripped at his arm, the ache growing. Colton shook his head, as his gaze locked with Colin’s. 

**It didn’t touch me. I don’t know what you think you saw, but nothing happened.**

Colin gazed into Colton’s eyes, scanning, his LED flickering, trying to detect any hint of a lie. He just wanted his brother to be okay, he didn’t want him to go through what he had gone through himself. 

Colton held the eye contact, trying his hardest to not show any sign of doubt. He could not afford to let anyone know about what was going on with him, especially his family.

The RK800-60 looked back down at the table and let out a small sigh. He didn’t speak again, letting himself sink back into the chair, his LED flashing between blue and yellow.

Connor noticed the signs of frustration coming from Colin, and took it as a sign that they should try to get some rest. His LED blared towards Conan, who straightened up at the small alert from Connor. The RK900 nodded, looking towards Colton who’s eyes fluttered from exhaustion.

"How about we all go home? Staying here, pulling an all nighter isn't going to do us any good nor get us any closer to catching the suspect responsible." Connor stated, moving from his spot at the end of the table. He began to gather all the paperwork, moving them into the folders quickly. 

"Finally, I was starting to think you'd all forgotten I'm the one who actually _survives_ off a good night's sleep." Hank grumbled, stretching from the position he’d been standing in for quite some time. The Lieutenant leered towards the clock. A groan escaped him, noting the late hour.

Conan walked past Connor, going towards Colton. A gentle hand shook Colton from his near stasis, making him struggle to get out of the chair. The RK900 noticed this and took a step towards his older brother, putting his arm around him in support.

Hank, Colin, and Connor began to finish cleaning up the table, resetting the case files and putting them back to their desks. Conan stood strong as he held Colton up, knowing how tired the elder RK was from the eventful day. Colton tried as best he could to act normal but he could feel Colin's frequent glances burning into his synthetic skin. Waiting for him to have another episode or something of the sort. The RK800-01 tried to shake off the feeling, the guilt bubbling up in his stomach. He knew he shouldn't be hiding this from them- from his own family. The ones he could trust. The ones who wanted to help.

He didn't know how to ask for help and it scared Colton to the core.

* * *

The snow had fallen heavily, a soft blanket of white covering the entire house and front yard. The heater was on inside as Sumo laid in his dog bed in the furthest corner of the living room. He had been patiently waiting all day for his favorite people to come home from work. It wasn’t an ordinary day, they were usually home earlier than tonight. 

Sumo’s ears flopped on the sides of his face as he fixed his position, a small whine emanating from the big, furry dog. A twitch came about his sensitive hearing as he recognized the crude sounds from Hank’s car and the boisterous roar of Conan’s motorcycle. He got up excitedly and waited by the door. His tail wagging wildly as he waited for his friends to come in. 

One by one, they walked into the house. They all stopped momentarily to greet and pet Sumo. Colton lagged behind, taking longer to arrive at the front door with Conan at his side.

Sumo rushed to him, he knew that Colton was always the most playful of them all. He was waiting for the hug that he had come to expect- a twinkle in his eyes rivaling that of the eldest brother. Conan stepped through the door, letting Colton walk on his own so they could fit through.

Colton’s mind was still racing, he hadn’t registered Sumo waiting so eagerly for his love. He couldn’t think straight. He looked down at his feet and saw the Saint Bernard. Reaching down and petting him lightly, a obvious lack of energy in the brother. Out of character, but he was in no mood to play tonight.

Sumo’s excited expression fell, a small whine escaping. His eyes followed the elder RK as he simply passed by- making a beeline for the bedrooms. Seemingly disappointed in the lack of affection provided by Colton, Sumo sulked back to his bed slowly. 

Colton moved to his room. Every step he took felt more and more like he was walking in quicksand. It was a struggle to even lift his leg. He so desperately wanted to just get in bed. The door closed behind, a soft click to signal the lock in place. The edges of Colton’s vision blurred slightly as he stumbled over, falling into the soft mattress. His face pressed against the fabric of his blankets, his eyes drifting closed as his LED signalled he’d fallen into stasis immediately.

The rest of the brothers and Hank gathered at the kitchen table. Connor and Conan knew they couldn’t rest, as they retrieved some of the files they’d been working on in the conference room. Hank rummaged through the fridge, knowing they’d missed their regular dinner time. He found a small snack, eyeing the coffee machine. He knew Connor would protest him staying up past when he should. Hank couldn’t shake the uneasiness in his stomach, remembering how Colton had nodded off during the discussion. He stepped back from the fridge as he saw Colin standing by, near the hallway to the rooms. The RK’s back was turned towards him and Hank could see glimmer of an amber light, flickering off the wall Colin stood against. The Lieutenant knew what Colin’s mind was on- realizing he was staring in the direction of Colton’s room.

Hank walked over, leaving the other two at the table. He reached out, putting a hand on Colin’s shoulder- feeling him tense up at the touch. He understood how Colin felt about being touched, more or less, being touched by Hank himself. The RKs head tilted in Hank’s direction slightly, his shoulders raising slightly to signal a deep breath had been taken.

“He’s going to be okay. You know how things like this shake him up.” Hank began, a gentler voice attempting to comfort his son’s anxious thoughts.

Colin didn’t fully turn to face the Lieutenant, his gaze fixed on his oldest brother’s door. His memory ran back through analyzing Colton’s face, trying to find some trace of a lie or more in his oldest brother’s expression. He nodded at Hank’s reasoning but the small voice in the back of his head told him otherwise. Colin took a deep breath, his head fully turning to look at his father. 

“Maybe I should check up on him.” He spoke, his voice small as his arms wrapped around himself. Hank frowned faintly, as he squeezed Colin’s shoulder. “You _are_ on cuddle duty tonight. I think he’ll appreciate it.”

The RK800-60 blinked at that, remembering- and he nodded. He looked towards Colton’s room and took another deep breath in front of Hank before walking away- towards the door. Hank watched him go, his gaze lingering as Colin entered the room quietly.

Colton laid on the bed, haphazardly. His soft curls fell in his face as his chest moved up and down, signalling his simulated breathing while in stasis. Colin stayed at the door, hesitant. He walked over, noting how his older brother was still in his uniform. The lights were still on, an indication of Colton’s fear cued in the back of Colin’s head. He reached, placing a hand on his brother to shake him out of stasis. 

“Colt?”

The elder RK grumbled slightly, his LED flashing as he awoke. He pushed himself off the bed, rubbing his eyes. He sat on the bed, registering his younger brother in the room. “Mm?” 

“I think you’d be more comfortable out of your uniform.” Colin suggested, taking a step over to the dresser. He pulled the drawer open, rummaging through the jumble of clothes stuffed inside. Colin pulled out one of Colton’s favorite sleep shirts, and some cotton pants as the other began to rip off the layers of his police garb. The RK800-60 got ready to give the clothes to Colton when he noticed a very familiar sweater on the floor. 

Hank’s DPD hoodie.

Colin strode over, leaning down to pick it up. He made his way back towards the eldest, as he’d gotten nearly all of the uniform off. “Here- I think this’ll help you sleep better.”

Colton looked up, blinking through the weariness he felt as he saw Colin holding up the sweater. A small blue blush crept over his cheeks, his secret blue freckles making an appearance. He smiled, looking up at him. Colin matched the smile, something inside him easing him from the anxiousness his mind was clouded in from earlier. 

The elder RK changed immediately, the hoodie fitting exactly as it always did- oversized but soft and cozy. It didn’t take much longer for the two to be in bed, the lights off as Colton’s night light shone brightly on the wall. Colin lay on his back, as Colton snuggled up against him on his side. A wave of empathy washed over him, relaxing him against the covers as it got quiet. 

**I’m sorry for what happened in the conference room. I don’t mean to make you worry.**

Colin blinked at the soft voice that escaped Colton, looking down to see the eldest buried into his chest, his eyes closed, LED blinking amber.. He sighed, the smallest smile forming on his lips. He brought Colt closer to him. His face obscured, pressing it into his brother’s hair. His own eyes closed, his LED flickering to signal stasis.

**I know, Colt. It’s okay.**


End file.
